Cake bio

Formed in the early nineties as a somewhat antagonistic answer to grunge, CAKE’s democratic processes, defiant self-reliance, and lucid yet ever-inventive music has made them a nation-state unto themselves, with no obvious peers, belonging to no school. Now, in addition to writing, arranging, producing, and performing their own music, they have taught themselves to engineer their recording projects in their own recently-constructed solar- powered studio, which actually generates more power than is needed to run it, causing the building’s electrical meter to run in reverse.

“There are quite a few different kinds of talent in this band,” observes founding member John McCrea, “so our process has become even more democratic with this record, with the band playing a much larger role in production decisions.” Echoes bassist Gabriel Nelson, “This album is the most collaborative CAKE album – and the band did nearly all the engineering, which has been a real education in technical stuff.” “We listen to each other and grow from our association,” says CAKE’s other founding member, Vince DiFiore. “This album represents a band that has created its own story together.”

CAKE’s new album, Showroom of Compassion, was released on their own Upbeat Records label, making the album as pure an extension of the DIY aesthetic as ever attempted by an established act. Thriving in the unglamorous Central Valley of Northern California, where country meets mariachi meets post punk and classic rock, CAKE’s music reflected this diversity, and would eventually lead to collaborations with not only Brazilian cultural hero Tom Ze, but also with American rapper Jay-Z, and to legendary country songwriter Buck Owens choosing CAKE as one of the only non-country artists to play his Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA.

By maintaining their ideals while continuing to challenge themselves artistically and professionally, CAKE has managed to not only survive, but to thrive. “We still exist,” explains McCrea, “because we’ve always stayed outside of current trends. We’ve watched them inflate and deflate. We’ve never been invited to the party, so we’ve never had to leave the party whether the police arrived or not. It’s a sad and beautiful world.”